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Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

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California Department of Fish and Game<br />

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<br />

Section 3.5. Biological Resources<br />

• California tiger salamander and Vernal pool fairy shrimp - According to<br />

Wetlands and Water Resources (2005b and 2007) during numerous field<br />

surveys and analysis of the Project site, conducted during 2005 and 2006,<br />

vernal pool fairy shrimp and California tiger salamander were determined to<br />

have little to no potential to occur in the watershed based on a lack of known<br />

regional occurrences or lack of discovery during site surveys. Given that the<br />

Action area is outside of the known range for vernal pool fairy shrimp, this<br />

species is not expected to occur on the Project site. California tiger<br />

salamander is known to occur in <strong>Sonoma</strong> County but the Project site is<br />

outside of the currently known distribution of this species. As reported by<br />

Wetlands and Waters Resources (2005b and 2007) this species was not<br />

observed onsite during numerous surveys conducted within the watershed<br />

and the site contains only limited potential breeding habitat. This species<br />

therefore has low to no potential to occur onsite.<br />

• Conservancy Fairy Shrimp – The site is outside of the species range.<br />

• California Freshwater Shrimp – These shrimp are expected to be extant in<br />

nearby streams but have not been found to occur in the project area (USFWS<br />

1998).<br />

• California Least Tern - The northernmost population is located east of the<br />

Napa Marsh.<br />

• Northern Spotted Owl - No suitable habitat is available onsite.<br />

California Brown Pelican, previously a special status species, was delisted in<br />

2009; however, is included in the USFWS quad list for the site. It has very<br />

limited potential to occur at the project site.<br />

Action Area Outside the Project Site<br />

Two tidal marsh bird species, California black rail and California clapper rail,<br />

have potential to occur within the Project site once restoration is implemented.<br />

Currently the Project site does not currently contain suitable habitat for these<br />

species (Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b). However, there is suitable<br />

habitat in tidal marsh along Tolay Creek and the northern part of San Pablo Bay<br />

within the Action Area.<br />

The salt and freshwater marshes in the Action area currently provide marginally<br />

suitable habitat for saltmarsh common yellowthroat (Wetlands and Water<br />

Resources 2005b).<br />

Saltmarsh harvest mouse is present in pickleweed-dominated tidal salt marsh<br />

adjacent to the Project site in the southern baylands within the Action area<br />

(Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b). It is not currently expected to occur in<br />

the Project site due to a lack of tidal marsh habitat. However, it may occur onsite<br />

in the future once a tidal marsh plain and associated pickleweed marsh is restored<br />

(Wetlands and Water Resources 2005b). Saltmarsh harvest mouse may occur in<br />

Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration<br />

Project Final <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong><br />

Report/<strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong><br />

3.5-23<br />

April 2012

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